At least 60 times a day, thieves and rogues plundered Houston-area homes last year — in fact, on average, a burglar smashed through doors and windows to rip off valuables every 30 minutes.

Chances are, before you finish reading this newspaper, a neighbor's laptop, jewelry or flat-screen TV has been carted away by thugs. Burglaries went up at least 22 percent over the last four years, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis of police data, and nearly 22,000 of us were the victims.

Sometimes more than once.

"My little one won't let me leave her for work," said a 46-year-old woman, whose southeast Houston house was broken into four times last year. The culprits smashed windows and even removed a windowpane. No one has been arrested in any incident, said the woman who feared having her name published.

More than 500 houses were hit multiple times last year.

"I have done everything I can, you just can't prevent them," said Dayton Spain, who lives in southwest Houston and has been burglarized four times - two from the front door and two through the back. Burglars haven't given him a rest since May 2009.

This year, in the month of April, police recorded 1,817 burglaries in the Houston area.

Houston Police spokeswoman Jodi Silva attributed at least some of the increase in burglaries to the city's population growth.

As disconcerting as the numbers are, so is the emotional toll break-ins exact on homeowners.

"Burglary is not entirely a property crime because there's the risk of violence and the invasion of privacy," said Sandra Thompson, a professor at University of Houston Law Center. "The victims always have the upsetting feeling and fear that 'What if I had been at home?' "

Burglars are rarely caught.

The Chronicle analysis of burglary data and other records shows seven percent or less of residential break-ins result in arrests, mostly because there are no witnesses or evidence most of the time, according to police.

City's areas of risk

The largest single concentration of burglaries is in southwest Houston and stretches from Westheimer to West Belfort, west from Loop 610 to Eldridge Parkway. More than 3,500 incidents happened in that area in 2009.

Other risky areas include parts of Alief, Woodlake, East Little York, Sunny Side, South Park and Minnetex.

Lori Bender, HPD captain for the southeast division, said many houses in those areas have multiple weak points - like windows and doors that can easily be broken and residents that can't afford alarm systems.

"There are some targets you just can't secure very well, because it's just a weak target to begin with," said Bender. "Unfortunately a lower-income area is left vulnerable."

Police records and interviews also show red flags in some traditional higher-income areas. Police say burglary has been up 20 percent this year in the Medical Center area, Midtown and Montrose, including an uptick in expensive bicycles being stolen.

Among homes that have been hit more than once, the Chronicle analysis showed, the culprits most often returned within three months, or even one.

"That can be a problem," said Lt. Charles Dunn, tactical commander for the HPD North Division. He advised people to act quickly on safety measures once their home is exposed to crooks, so they don't return again.

Vulnerable apartments

Police records indicate the peak time for burglary is from 7 a.m. until noon, when most people are not at home. In fact, daytime burglaries accounted for more than 16,000 break-ins, compared to 5,500 intrusions at night.

Among the repeated targets are apartment complexes.

About 60 were hit by burglars more than 20 times each last year. Greenhouse Patio Apartments, located at 6363 W. Airport in the Fondren Square neighborhood, topped the list with 66 incidents.

"That apartment complex got a break-in every Sunday. It was like a patterned clock work," said Flishia Valentine, whose apartment was sacked three times in three months. She lost two flat-screen TVs, one regular TV, three VCRs, two laptops and appliances.

Valentine moved out in October.

"We were so scared that we boarded up all the windows and patio door the last week we were there," said Valentine.

Hiring security patrols

Fondren area police say 98 arrests were made at that address after the apartment manager hired off-duty police officers and Harris County constables. Most of arrests were narcotics-related.

"What you have sometimes is if you arrest crack dealers, it cuts down the burglary and theft, because people steal stuff and buy drugs," said Lt. Troy Finner.

For Maria Maldonado, the weak point became the unlocked side garage door. She and her husband own the Taqueria Huetamich restaurant on the Southwest Freeway.

One afternoon, her husband arrived at the restaurant after mowing the lawn at home.

The couple think a group of customers noticed he was in the restaurant and quickly left to go burglarize their home.

"They just left water, chips and menu without ordering anything," said Maldonado.

Burglars restrained boy

Thirty minutes later, their 11-year-old son called and said all the valuables in the house were taken by six men, who got in the house through an open garage door. The men tied up the boy with computer cords.

The six suspects took $5,000 in jewelry, electronics and cash. They have not been caught.